DepEd apologizes to Angel Locsin for ‘body shaming’ module; actress responds: ‘You should be held accountable’

The Department of Education (DepEd) has issued a public apology to Angel Locsin for promoting an education module that referred to the actress as an “obese person.”

According to DepEd’s Occidental Mindoro division, the material that has been circulating on social media was prepared by a Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health (MAPEH) teacher but it was “not contained in the self-learning module developed and quality assured” by the Central Office.

"We would like to express our sincerest apology to the concerned individuals who may have been offended or harmed by this incident," Occidental Mindoro division superintendent Roger Capa said.

"The Department of Education does not tolerate nor condone any act of body shaming, ad hominem or any similar act of bullying both in the physical and virtual environments," he added.

The DepEd official also appealed to the public to spare him from any “ad hominem attacks.”

"This Office had already communicated with the concerned teacher and gathered facts from him. Rest assured that this matter will be given serious attention," the statement read.

Many netizens came to Locsin’s defense after seeing a photo of the said education module with an item criticized for “body shaming” the actress.

“Angel Locsin is an obese person. She, together with Coco Martin, eats fatty and sweet food in Mang Inasal fast food restaurant most of the time. In her house, she always watching television and does not have any physical activities,” the viral photo said.

Locsin: Be accountable

Reposting DepEd’s statement on social media, Angel said that the issue was not the module’s reference to her weight but the quality of education being provided to children.

“I don’t mind the insults. Cheap comments do not define who I am,” the actress said in the caption of her post.

Locsin said she was prepared to let the issue pass until she read DepEd’s statement that seemed to distance itself from the controversial module.

“I intended to ignore the issue, but when I read DepEd’s statement, aba teka lang,” the actress said.

“What bothers me most is apart from teaching incorrect grammar to the students, DepEd seems unaffected that the said teacher is teaching bad conduct and sowing discrimination among the children,” she added.

“Anong mangyayare sa future kung ang mga kabataan ay tinuturuan ng pambabastos at pangungutya sa kapwa?” she continued.

“This is the more relevant issue deped, that you should be held accountable and must correct. Sa inyo naka salalay ang pag asa ng ating milyon-milyong kabataan,” she said.

According to Locsin, “the said teacher should apologize to his students and all the students that read the module.”

“I am fortunate that I had teachers who value good manners and right conduct. Every child deserves to have teachers like them,” the actress said. — Margaret Claire Layug/LA, GMA News